Winter Path
Choose the Winter Way, the historical alternative to the French Way to avoid snow in O Cebreiro. Discover the valley of the Sil, the Sacred Ribeira and the four Galician provinces.
Organize your Winter PathGeneral Description of Winter Path
With a 267 km journey, it is the only Camino that traverses all four Galician provinces (Ourense, Lugo, Pontevedra, and A Coruña). It offers spectacular landscapes like the Sil Canyons and its heroic viticulture, allowing you to discover a natural and cultural heritage of great value, less known but equally fascinating.
Connections of Winter Path
The French Way
Distance:
779 km
Days:
33
Difficulty:
Media
The Camino Francés is the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela of excellence, chosen by thousands of pilgrims every year. With a journey of approximately 780 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or less from Roncesvalles, it traverses northern Spain. This path, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, offers exceptional infrastructure for services and hostels.
Pilgrims traverse Navarra, La Rioja, Castile and León, and finally Galicia, marveling at monumental cities such as Pamplona, Burgos, and León, and charming villages. The diversity of its landscapes is one of its greatest attractions, from the Pyrenees and the Castilian plains to the green forests of Galicia. It's a physical and spiritual journey that leaves an indelible mark, ideal for both experienced pilgrims and those starting out on the Camino de Santiago.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles
Stage 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri
Stage 3: Zubiri is going to Pamplona.
Stage 4: Pamplona to Pontevedra
Stage 5: Bridge of Queen to Estella
The Camino by Bike
Distance:
779 km
Days:
14
Difficulty:
Media
The Camino Francés by bike offers a dynamic experience for "bicigrinos". Although the general route follows the walking trail, stages are designed to cover greater distances, condensing the journey into 14 days. This mode allows cyclists to pass through Pamplona, Burgos and León, and traverse the Pyrenees, Meseta and Galicia landscapes at a brisk pace.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: St. John of Pied de Port to Zubiri (By Bike)
Stage 2: Zubiri to Puente la Reina by bike
Stage 3: Bridge of Queen to Towers of Rio (Bicycle)
Stage 4: Rivers of the Rio to Santo Domingo de la Calzada (Bike)
Stage 5: The Bike Route from Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Burgos
Way of the Asturias
Distance:
465 km
Days:
22
Difficulty:
High
The Camino of Asturias is a historical itinerary that connects the French Way in Pamplona with the Primitive Way in Oviedo. This route, of great scenic beauty and notable physical demand, traverses the mountains of Navarre, Álava, Cantabria, and Asturias. It offers a deep immersion in nature and the heritage of interior Spain, with mountain landscapes, valleys, and villages with history.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: Pamplona to Irurzun
Stage 2: Irun to Alsausa
Stage 3: Asunción a Salta
Stage 4: Salvaterra to Vitoria
Stage 5: Victory over La Puebla of Arganzón
Aragonese Way
Distance:
165.6 km
Days:
6
Difficulty:
Media
The Aragonese Way is one of the historical entry routes to the French Way on the Iberian Peninsula. From the Somport Pass, it covers 166 km through beautiful Pirenne landscapes, passing by landmarks such as Jaca and its Romanesque cathedral, the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña or the hermitage of Santa María de Eunate. In Puente la Reina (Navarra), it joins the Way that comes from Roncesvalles.
It is a route with an immense Romanesque patrimony and less pilgrim traffic, which offers a more intimate and authentic experience.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: Port of Jaca
Stage 2: Jacques d'Arras
Stage 3: Arras to Ruesca
Stage 4: To Sue
Stage 5: Song of Monreal
Way of Salvador
Distance:
119.4 km
Days:
6
Difficulty:
High
The Way of Salvador, or the Way of St. Salvador, is a historic 120 km route that connects León to Oviedo, allowing pilgrims on the French Way to connect with the start of the Primitive Way. It crosses the Cantabrian Mountains, which implies considerable physical challenge but offers spectacular mountain landscapes.
Its motto "Who goes to Santiago and does not go to Salvador, visits the servant and not the Lord" reflects the historical importance of Oviedo Cathedral and its relics. It is a short but intense route, ideal for pilgrims with good physical preparation who seek to add a mountain component and deep historical connection to their pilgrimage.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: Leon at La Robla
Stage 2: Robla to Poladura of the Third
Stage 3: Adhesion of Third to Pajares
Stage 4: Hair to Pola de Lena
Stage 5: Valley of Lena to Mieres
Elevation Profile of Winter Path
Visualize the ups and downs of the route.
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Stages of Winter Path
Etapa 1: Ponferrada to Las Médulas
Description:
At this stage of the Winter Way, the pilgrim diverges from the French Way to follow the course of the Sil River. The route is of exceptional beauty, traversing the narrow valley of Sil with its vineya...
Origen: Ponferrada
Destino: Las Médulas
Etapa 2: Las Médulas to O Barco de Valdeorras
Description:
Continuing on the Winter Way, this stage enters the spectacular Ribeira Sacra lucerne region. The path leaves the Sil valley to ascend gently, offering increasingly impressive panoramic views. The pro...
Origen: Las Médulas
Destino: O Barco de Valdeorras
Etapa 3: O Barco de Valdeorras to A Rúa de Valdeorras
Description:
This is a short and gentle stage of the Winter Way, ideal for recovering strength while continuing on the Ribeira Sacra route. The route follows the course of the Sil River in an enjoyable stroll thro...
Origen: O Barco de Valdeorras
Destino: A Rúa de Valdeorras
Etapa 4: A Rúa de Valdeorras to Quiroga
Description:
One of the most demanding and beautiful stages on the Winter Camino. The journey involves a long and sustained ascent to leave Quiroga valley and overcome Serra do Courel. The path runs through an imp...
Origen: A Rúa de Valdeorras
Destino: Quiroga
Etapa 5: Quiroga to A Pobra do Brollón
Description:
This 22.9 km long stage of the Winter Camino is one of the most demanding on the route. The profile is of high difficulty, with a long ascent leading to the Sierra do Courel. Along the way, you pass t...
Origen: Quiroga
Destino: A Pobra do Brollón
Etapa 6: A Pobra do Brollón to Monforte de Lemos
Description:
A brief and relatively comfortable stage that descends from A Pobra do Brollón to the Cabe River valley, with a final ascending section to the monumental city of Monforte de Lemos. It offers a peacefu...
Origen: A Pobra do Brollón
Destino: Monforte de Lemos
Featured Towns of Winter Path
Explore the key towns and cities of this route.
Ponferrada
Capital of El Bierzo and the Templar city of excellence on the French Way. Its imposing Templar Castle is a must-visit stop for all pilgrims before Galicia.
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Las Médulas
Cultural Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Las Médulas, ancient Roman gold mine, is a unique environment of red rocks and oaks, an indispensable stop in El Bierzo.
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O Barco de Valdeorras
Capital of the region and heart of the DO Valdeorras. O Barco is a vibrant village by the Sil river, an essential stop on the Winter Route to enjoy its wines and landscape.
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A Rúa de Valdeorras
Villa ourensana by the Sil, in the heart of Valdeorras. A Rúa is a key stop on the Winter Way, famous for its Roman bridge and wine tradition.
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Quiroga
Gateway to the Ribeira Sacra and the Geopark Montañas do Courel. Quiroga, in the valley of the Sil, is a stop on the Winter Way that offers nature, wine and tradition.
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A Pobra do Brollón
Heart of the Lucene Ribeira Sacra and winter stopover on the Camino de Invierno. A Pobra do Brollón offers an extraordinary natural environment, with river landscapes and a deep Galician rural essence.
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Monforte de Lemos
Capital of the Ribeira Sacra and heart of the Winter Way. Monforte de Lemos, dominated by its monastery, is a monumental stop with a deep taste for history and wine.
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Chantada
Chantada is a walled village in the Ribeira Sacra and stage of the Camino de Invierno. It is famous for its vineyard terraces over the River Minho and its Romanesque heritage.
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Rodeiro
Rural municipality in the geographical heart of Galicia. Rodeiro is a functional stop on the Winter Way, in the Deza region, offering pilgrims services and a rural atmosphere.
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Lalín
Known as the "Zero Kilometer" of Galicia and capital of the stew, Lalín is a key gastronomic stop and service point on the Winter Way before joining the Via de la Plata.
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Silleda
Known as "Zero Mile of Galicia", Silleda is a vibrant fair and service centre. On the Winter Way, it offers a modern and well-equipped stop before Santiago.
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Outeiro
Small rural village on the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela. Outeiro offers the pilgrim a last breath of tranquility and Galician landscape before the final destination.
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Santiago de Compostela
The Final and Spiritual Heart of the Way of St. James. Its majestic Cathedral and Plaza del Obradoiro welcome pilgrims from all over the world in a full of emotion finale.
More InformationMillenary History of the Camino de Santiago: Origins and Evolution Winter Path
Discover the origins and evolution of Winter Path
During the Middle Ages, the section of the Camino Francés that ascends from Villafranca del Bierzo to the high of O Cebreiro (1,300 meters) became an impassable barrier during long winter periods. The intense snows, ice, and gales not only made the path extremely dangerous but also often closed it completely, leaving pilgrims stranded. In response to this reality, folk wisdom and the experience of travelers gave shape to a natural detour. In Ponferrada, instead of continuing towards Villafranca, pilgrims turned westwards to follow the course of the River Sil, a geographical corridor that offered a lower altitude passage protected from the harsh climate.
This route was not an accidental invention but rather made use of existing pre-existing communication routes. Its path followed secondary Roman roads that connected important gold mines at Las Médulas with the rest of Gallaecia. This Roman past endowed the route with basic infrastructure such as bridges and roads, facilitating its use by pilgrims. The road entered Galicia through the Valdeorras region, always following the banks of the Sil River, which became the backbone of the route.
One of the most spectacular and historically charged sections is the passage through Ribeira Sacra. This region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate, is famous for its impressive river canyons and houses one of Europe's largest concentrations of Romanesque monasteries and eremitorios. The existence of these monastic centers (such as Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil or Santa Cristina) demonstrates that the Sil River valley was an important spiritual and communication corridor throughout the centuries, reinforcing the idea of continuous traveler transit, including pilgrims.
The route continued through significant medieval villages such as Monforte de Lemos, a lordship of the Counts of Lemos and a vital communication node in southern Lugo, and Chantada. From there, it directed itself towards the Deza region in Pontevedra. Near Lalín, the Winter Way converged with the Vía de la Plata in its variant of the Camino Sanabrés, sharing the final stages until Santiago de Compostela. This convergence highlights its logical geography as a route of convergence.
One of the most singular characteristics of this path is that it is the only Jacobean itinerary that covers all four Galician provinces: entering Ourense, traversing southern Lugo, entering Pontevedra, and concluding in A Coruña. Despite its historical use, for centuries it remained an "unofficial" route, less documented than the Camino Francés. Its revitalization has been a recent effort by historians, friends of the Camino associations, and public administrations. Thanks to their research, signage, and promotion efforts, the Winter Way was officially recognized as a Jacobean route by Santiago Cathedral in 2016. Today, it offers pilgrims an unique experience, more solitary and filled with history, with landscapes ranging from heroic viticulture vineyards to inner valley Galicia valleys.